RIYADH, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia will open its first cinema hall on April 18 in Riyadh, Al Arabiya local news reported on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Ministry of Information confirmed that 350 cinema theatres with 2,500 screens are expected to be open across several Saudi cities by 2030.
The move aims to develop the entertainment sector to make it more profitable and with more contributions to the national economy.
The short plan includes the opening of 40 cinemas in 15 Saudi cities over the next five years.
The General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday the signing of an agreement with AMC, the first company to obtain a license to operate cinemas in the Kingdom.
The granting of the license was announced on the sidelines of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the city of Los Angeles in the United States.
AMC has the largest movie market in the United States and is the world's largest cinema chain with more than 2,200 screens, 244 theaters in Europe alone, and more than 8,200 screens in 661 theaters in America.
Saudi Arabia has taken steps to open up the entertainment sector and encourage investment by signing an agreement with Six Flags to develop recreational parks.
Plans have also been announced to invest 64 billion U.S. dollars in the Saudi entertainment sector over the next 10 years, as well as allowing women to attend concerts and setting up 5,000 recreational events in 2018.
